--- In [email protected], "Tony L." <railtrailbi...@...> wrote: > > We're continuing to experience a significant drop off in usage of ham > repeaters (all bands) in the Northern NJ area. > > It is not uncommon to find a repeater that has been dormant for months. > > What's it like in your part of the country? > Here in South Carolina repeater usage is growing again. Helped because of a program started in Charleston about four years ago. It is the Healthcare Emergency Amateur Radio Team. The program is the brainchild of W6NWS and N4SJW, both of who are nurses. They were able to get grant money from DHHS to install amateur radio equipment and repeaters in the local Charleston Hospitals. As the program grew the University of South Center for Public Heath Preparedness (KI4PKO and KJ4ABC) got involved. 65 hospitals in the state are now in the program and there is a statewide linked repeater system within reach of the majority of the hospitals.
The system would be useless with out trained amateur radio operators. USC-CPHP has a program to train amateur radio operators to get their technician licenses. Once the hams are licensed they are back to class for training as radio response team members. Follow up license classes for the general class licenses have been well attended. In the past four years the program has licensed more than 400 hams. During the same period of time the number of hams licensed in South Carolina has jumped from 7000 to 8200. For more information on SCHEART or to listen to streaming audio of the nets go to www.scheart.us . For the Center for Public Health Preparedness check the link to USC-CPHP. There are many other groups that are very active in the State. The Blueridge Amateur Radio Society daily 146.61 two meter net has more than 2000 check-ins a month. Other active nets are run by the Columbia ARC, Grand Strand ARC, PALS Linked Repeater System, Trident ARC and Charleston ARC just to name a few. D-Star is growing fast in the state because of the work of N7GZT. He has been involved in the installation of most of the D-Star repeaters here in the state. They are located in Columbia, Conway, Lexington, Summerville and in a few weeks Charleston. Finally if you have an opportunity to visit or drive through South Carolina don't hesitate to get on and use the SC HEART linked repeater system. The system is open to all licensed radio amateurs if you live in the state or are just traveling through South Carolina. Note: The system covers I 20,26,77 and 95 from border to border. South Carolina is the home of "Smiling Faces and Beautiful Places" plus "Friendly Hams".
